Saved by break in routine

KUALA LUMPUR: P. Saravathy is lucky to be alive today and it's all thanks to a slight change in routine.

The 70-year-old retired teach said she usually reads the newspaper in her living room every morning until 11am when she starts preparing lunch.

Yesterday, however, she went straight to the kitchen, only to rush right back out when tipper lorry laden with stones soil crashed into her double-storey corner lot home in Bangsar here and landed in her living room.

"I had just stepped into the kitchen and hadn't even decided what curry to make when suddenly there was a sound as if a bomb had exploded.

"I rushed to check and to my horror, I found a lorry parked in my hall," she said of the 10am incident when met at her house on Lorong Maarof 6.

She immediately contacted her husband, M. Balakrishnan, 70, a retired City Hall field officer, who rushed home from a meeting in the city.

Witnesses said they saw the lorry go over a road barrier and ram into the concrete garden wall of the detached house. It came to a stop after smashing through the side wall of the house.

The crash left the living room of a concrete, furniture and other strewn items.

Balakrishnan was grateful that his wife not hurt in the incident.

"Even the lorry driver was lucky as he escaped with the minor bruises," he added.

The lorry driver who only wanted to be known as Mulyani, 37, said he was transporting stones and earth from a construction site next to the shopping centre to be dumped.

"I was driving downhill when it happened. I tried to steer the vehicle to safety but failed," said Mulyani, who has been driving lorries for 14 years.

City traffic chief Assistant Commissioner Hamza Taib said police are investigating the accident under Section 43(1) of Road Transport Act 1987 for careless and inconsiderate driving.

Source: Star newspaper

Rapist's a good son, says mum

"HE was a good son".

There were the first words from the mother of Ismail Shah Abdul Wahab, 24, was was yesterday sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment and six stroke of the rotan for raping a 15-year-old girl.

The incident took place near a bush behind Sekolah Menengah Hulu Kelang, between 4.50pm and 6pm on Aug 19, 2004.

The antique dealer from Perak was also sentenced to 10 years' jail for forcing the girl to perform oral sex on him at the same time and place, and four more strokes of the rotan.

Speaking to The Malay Mail, his mother, who came to the Ampang Session Court with a daughter, said her family could not believe when they first learnt about his offences.

"He is a hard-working and soft-spoken man. He had never done anything to hurt his wife. Now, we are ashamed to face out relatives who would ask about him," said the woman, who appeared calm while talking to his son after the sentencing.

Ismail, a father of one was seen covering his mouth with a small towel most of the time.

He was arrested on Feb 18, 2005, following a police report lodged by the girl.

Ismail has previous convictions for rape, sodomy, wrongful confinement and forcing oral sex on victims aged 12, 16, and 24 in Cheras, between Dec 9, 2004, and Aug 3 last year.

For the offences, he was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in January to a 50-year jail term starting from Aug 9 last year, when his bail was revoked, together with 24 whippings.

Ismail was also sentenced by the Ampang magistrate's courts to five years' jail for abducting, molesting and robbing a 17-year-old girl, and 20 months for abducting and 24 months for molesting a 12-year-old girl in July last year.

In passing judgement yesterday, Ampang Sessions Court judge Noradidah Ahmad said Ismail had to be isolated from the society for his inhumane behaviour towards his victim.

"He pretended to ask for direction to the mosque and coaxed the victim, a minor, into following him and then raped her," she said.

Noradidah ordered the sentence to run after the completion of the sentences imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Source: The Malay Mail newspaper

Man found dead near fish pond

BIDOR: here, about 70km from A 55-year-old man was found dead outside a hut near his fish pond at Japan PakuIpoh.

Soo Ching Lin was believed to been attacked when he was alone guarding his two fish ponds.

Tapah OCPD Supt Roslan Bek Ahmad said Soo had likely suffered blows from a blunt object.

"Except for his wallet, nothing is missing from the hut," he told reporters here yesterday.

According to Supt Roslan Bek, Soo's younger brother had found the body when he went in search of Soo at about 9am yesterday.

Those with information should contact ASP Mohd Rani Abdullah or Insp Zurainah Anual at 05-4011222.

Source: Star newspaper

Hijacked trailer found

MALACCA: A hijacked trailer, which was transporting RM80, 000 worth of paint, was recovered some 30 minutes after the driver lodged a police report at the Ayer Keroh police station here. The goods were being transported from Negeri Sembilan to Johor. The driver, Abdul Hamid Samsure, 35, along with a co-driver Mohd Hazri Hadi, 29, had started their journey late Wednesday night. "As we were resting at the Machap rest area in Johor around 5am in the morning, four men armed with parangs and metal rods broke the window on the driver's side and put a parang to Hazri's neck. "They told us not to fight back and then tied up out hands and legs and covered our faces with some of our extra clothes that were in the trailer," said Abdul Hamid when met here yesterday. The two of them were left by the roadside some 500m from the Ayer Keroh rest area. They immediately freed themselves from the bindings and alerted the Ayer Keroh police station at around 9.30am. Shortly after 10am, the trailer, along with the 20 tonnes of paint was found at the Malim Jaya Industrial Area. Malacca CID chief Asst Comm Frederick Liso Senap said two men, aged 48 and 31, have been detained to assist in investigations.

Welder killed in hit-and-run

JOHOR BARU: Accident victim Lai Sing Yan could not touch her husband or kiss him goodbye one last time as his body laid in a coffin at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital mortuary.

Both her hands and her left leg were broken in the same accident that claimed Chui Kok Seng's life.

Lai, 32 shouted out her husband's name repeatedly.

"Wake up, wake up or take me with you," the housewife cried out in Hakka as she leaned to catch a glimpse of Chui, 37.

The couple were involved in a hit-and-run accident the night before in Johor Jaya at about 9.50pm.

A speeding Kenari, reported stolen three days earlier, rammed into their motorcycle after racing out of a back alley.

Chui, a welder who worked in Singapore, was thrown 2m away and died on the spot while Lai was flung over a gate into a house compound 6m further.

The driver of the Kenari continued to drag the motorcycle for about 27m before hitting a lamp post.

The driver Kenari then escaped on foot, according to eyewitnesses.

Chui's sister, clerk Chui Siew Yin, 42, said her brother and sister-in-law had three young children aged seven, nine and 11 years.

Those with information on the hit-and-run case may contact the Johor Baru (South) police at 07-2277 566.

Source: Star newspaper

Picture: Metro newspaper

Trailer and 10 cars in pile-up but no one's killed

SEREMBAN: It was like a scene from some Hollywood movie. On a dark, wet morning, a trailer skidded onto the wrong side of the road, panicking 10 car drivers in its path.

Some cars slammed into each other, some landed in a ditch, one burst into flames and a driver of a Proton Tiara was pinned to his seat.

Miraculously, no one was killed in the 7.45am incident near Taman Bukit Mas on a rain-soaked Jalan Seremban-Tampin here yesterday.

The vehicles involved were a Perodua Kancil, Proton Wiras and several four-wheel drive vehicles.
Acting Seremban OCPD Supt Ahmad Mahmud said the driver of the car which burst into flames managed to get out in time.
Rescue personnel managed to free the driver who was caught in the seat of another car.

He said four other drivers sought outpatient treatment at Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital. So far, eight people have lodged reports on the accident.

Supt Ahmad said the trailer driver could have fallen asleep resulting in the vehicle veering in the direction of the oncoming cars before landing in a nearby drain.

The incident caused a huge jam during the morning rush hour.

Source: Star newspaper
Pictures: NST newspaper, Star newspaper, The Malay Mail newspaper

Taiwanese charged with cheating

A TAIWANESE woman was charged in the magistrate's court in George Town, yesterday with two counts of cheating a college student of RM52,300 last month.

Chen Hsiao Ting, 38, from Taipei, was charged with a few others, who are still at large, with cheating Lim Hoi Lin, 20, a student, by deceiving her into believing that she won RM3.292 million in a lucky draw organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

On the first charge, Chen was alleged to have, with malicious intent, induced Lim into handing RM12, 300 to her through a bank account belonging to another woman, Thing Sook Kun, on the April 9.

The offense, under Section 420 of the Penal Code, was alleged to have been committed at a bank in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Penang about 2pm on that day.

On the second count, Chen, with a few others still at large, was alleged to have deceived Lim into handing over RM40, 000 to her through a bank account belonging to another woman, Lau Jin Bee, about 3pm at the same place on April 18.

She pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to both the charges.

Magistrate's and sessions court registrar Muna Maria Azmi, who fixed July 16 to re-mention the case, allowed Chen bail of RM15, 000 in one local surety.

She also ordered Chen to surrender her travel documents to the court and to report to the North East police station on the 15th of every month.

Source: The Malay Mail newspaper

Boy, 7, drowns in canal after swimming outing

PASIR MAS: Playing marbles was his favourite game after school but on Monday, 7-year-old Mohamad Nazrul Mat Ishok decided to try swimming.

He could not swim but went ahead with two friends to a small canal in Kampung Gertak Chakoh 2, about two kilometres from his home.

When the Year One pupil of SK Kepah got into difficulty while playing in the 1.5 metre-deep water, there was no one to rescue him.

His friends ran to get help but he was already dead by the time he was pulled out of the waster.

His mother, Ramlah Samad, 42, of Kampung Kelar Besar near Tok Uban, said her son did not tell her of his intention to play at the canal.

"I thought he was playing marbles as usual with his friends outside. If I had known, I would have stopped him as he did not know how to swim.

"When I got there, I saw my son's body covered in mud. He was not breathing. My husband and I took him to the district hospital but he was dead by then," said the rubber tapper.

The couple has nine other children.

Source: NST newspaper

Tapper finds body in bush

SEREMBAN: A rubber tapper made a gruesome discovery yesterday when she found the body of a woman in a bush near rubber estate at Km7.5 Jalan Seremban-Kuala Pilah.

The woman, in her 50s, was with her teenage son working in the rubber estate when she stumbled upon body of the woman who was clad in bra and panties.

She informed several vegetable sellers doing business at the roadside, who called the police.

State CID chief Assistant Commissioner Huzir Mohamed said a team of police officers, including those from the forensic and canine units, went to the scene after being informed of the discovery about 9 am.

"We have yet to determine the identity of the woman. Our initial investigation show that the body is of a Malay woman, ages between 20 and 25," said Huzir, adding that there was a stab wound on the right side of her chest and bruises on her face.

Source: NST newspaper
Pictures: Metro newspaper

4 held, RM40,000 of printer ink cartridges recovered

BANTING: Police have arrested four men and recovered RM40,000 worth of printer ink cartridges stolen from a lorry on April 29.

Kuala Langat police chief Superintendent Zulkifli Mohamed said those arrested included the truck driver's assistant and a computer shop owner who allegedly bought the stolen goods.

In the April 29 incident, the driver who was transporting the consignment between Johor and Petaling Jaya, had stopped for the night at his home in Teluk Panglima Garang.

The next morning, be found the lorry had been broken into and the goods missing.

Zulkifli said the driver and his assistant were questioned by the police who became suspicious when the 29-year-old assistant contradicted himself.

"We detained him and upon further questioning, he led us to the alleged buyer in Bangsar on Monday."

The 16 boxes of ink cartridge were found in a house in Setapak, which is rented and used as a store by the 26-year-old shop owner.

Two other suspects were picked up in Puchong and Teluk Panglima Garang.

Source: NST newspaper

Grandfather smitten by young widow

HE is 97 and lonely.

So when Yong Chai Keng sent his eyes on a photograph of Tan Yi Huan, who is almost three times younger than him, the father 11 fell in love.

Yong is so fond of this 38-year-old widow that he had penned down his feelings on a piece of paper.

But the content of the letter will remain his secret as he was unwilling to share it with anyone.

Yesterday, the grandfather from Raub poured his heart out to MCA Public Services and Complaint Department head Datuk Michael Chong.
It's love at first sight and he wants to marry her, he told Chong.

Tan's picture appeared in a Chinese newspaper which highlighted her plight after her husband died last year.

She had appealed for financial aid.

"It's my duty to help her," Yong said, asking Chong to play matchmaker.

Yesterday was the second time Yong had called on Chong with the same request.

"He came to my office on May 4 asking me to arrange the marriage. I thought he was joking," said Chong.

But yesterday he realised that Yong was serious.

Yong's wife died last year and he confided in Chong that he was lonely and needed someone by his side.

"I read about Tan in a Chinese newspaper and my heart goes out to her as she has no one to care for her.

"Someone had suggested that I go to MCA if I wanted to marry Tan. I love her and I promise to take good care of her an her children," said Yong.

According to the newspaper report, Tan is staying with her sister in Puchong since her husband's death. She has two children, aged eight and three.

But Chong felt that Yong was not made for Tan.

"I think it is not a good match but I will leave it up to him to decide.

"It's up to the woman to respond or not. I'm doing him a favour," said Chong.

Source: The Malay Mail newspaper

Cannabis seized at check-point

BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Public information and the alertness of Customs officers at the Immigration check-point thwarted an attempt to smuggle 65kg of compressed cannabis in the the country.

The contraband, in 65 packages, were found in a special compartment in a luxury car which had entered the check-point from Thailand on Sundah, Kedah Customs director Ahmad Maher Abdul Manaf said.

He said the seizure, estimated to be worth RM130,000, was the biggest haul by the department this year.

It was seized from a Thai registered Mercedes Benz at 5:40pm.

Two men in the car, both foreign nationals, had been detained, he added.

Source: The Malay Mail newspaper

Kids 'glued' to drugs

MIRI: Children as young as seven are getting hooked on drugs and rubbish dumps here, raising alarm bells among state politicians and community leaders.

Two street kids, aged seven and nine, were rescued on Sunday after they were found slumped among some paper boxes near rubbish dump next to the high-rise Imperial Hotel and Shopping Complex right in the heart of the city.

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communication Lee Kim Shin was shocked to find the children stretched out motionless under a pile of discarded boxes, following a call from a concerned member of the public.

Near to them were cans of glue, which police identified as tyre glue. The two children refused to disclose their names and where they were from. Policemen in a mobile patrol unit took them to the police station and yesterday handed them over the state Welfare Department.

"The relevant authorities must deal this issue as soon as possible. This problem of very young kids getting involved in drugs and glue-sniffing, and living on the the streets, must be overcome.

"It is getting serious, I have directed the Welfare Department to help these kids and others like them. Save them from the streets and rehabilitate them fast," Lee said,

The two rescued children are believed to be siblings. A woman shopper identified one of them as a Year Three pupil in her school.

"This kid might have dropped out though," she said.

There are other such youngsters loitering about the streets of Miri. They can be found near the old market area, along the riverfront shophouses and outside four-digit outlets areas frequented by drug users.

Here, there are no shelter facilities for boys rescued from the streets. There is a rehabilitation centre for girls called Taman Puteri. The biggest boys' home in the state is in Kuching.

Source: Star newspaper